CHAPTER 128 The Pequod Meets The Rachel

Nextday,alargeship,theRachel,wasdescried,bearingdirectlydownuponthePequod,allhersparsthicklyclusteringwithmen.AtthetimethePequodwasmakinggoodspeedthroughthewater;butasthebroad-wingedwindwardstrangershotnightoher,theboastfulsailsallfelltogetherasblankbladdersthatareburst,andalllifefledfromthesmittenhull.

"Badnews;shebringsbadnews,"mutteredtheoldManxman.Buterehercommander,who,withtrumpettomouth,stoodupinhisboat;erehecouldhopefullyhail,Ahab'svoicewasheard.

"HastseentheWhiteWhale?"

"Aye,yesterday.Haveyeseenawhale-boatadrift?"Throttlinghisjoy,Ahabnegativelyansweredthisunexpectedquestion;andwouldthenhavefainboardedthestranger,whenthestrangercaptainhimself,havingstoppedhisvessel'sway,wasseendescendingherside.Afewkeenpulls,andhisboathooksoonclinchedthePequod'smain-chains,andhesprangtothedeck.ImmediatelyhewasrecognisedbyAhabforaNantucketerheknew.Butnoformalsalutationwasexchanged.

"Wherewashe?—notkilled!—notkilled!"criedAhab,closelyadvancing."Howwasit?"

Itseemedthatsomewhatlateontheafternoonofthedayprevious,whilethreeofthestranger'sboatswereengagedwithashoalofwhales,whichhadledthemsomefourorfivemilesfromtheship;andwhiletheywereyetinswiftchasetowindward,thewhitehumpandheadofMobyDickhadsuddenlyloomedupoutofthewater,notveryfartoleeward;whereupon,thefourthriggedboat—areservedone—hadbeeninstantlyloweredinchase.Afterakeensailbeforethewind,thisfourthboat—theswiftestkeeledofall—seemedtohavesucceededinfastening—atleast,aswellasthemanatthemast-headcouldtellanythingaboutit.Inthedistancehesawthediminisheddottedboat;andthenaswiftgleamofbubblingwhitewater;andafterthatnothingmore;whenceitwasconcludedthatthestrickenwhalemusthaveindefinitelyrunawaywithhispursuers,asoftenhappens.Therewassomeapprehension,butnopositivealarm,asyet.Therecallsignalswereplacedintherigging;darknesscameon;andforcedtopickupherthreefartowindwardboats—eregoinginquestofthefourthoneinthepreciselyoppositedirection—theshiphadnotonlybeennecessitatedtoleavethatboattoitsfatetillnearmidnight,but,forthetime,toincreaseherdistancefromit.Buttherestofhercrewbeingatlastsafeaboard,shecrowdedallsail—stunsailonstunsail—afterthemissingboat;kindlingafireinhertry-potsforabeacon;andeveryothermanaloftonthelook-out.Butthoughwhenshehadthussailedasufficientdistancetogainthepresumedplaceoftheabsentoneswhenlastseen;thoughshethenpausedtolowerherspareboatstopullallaroundher;andnotfindinganything,hadagaindashedon;againpaused,andloweredherboats;andthoughshehadthuscontinueddoingtilldaylight;yetnottheleastglimpseofthemissingkeelhadbeenseen.

Thestorytold,thestrangerCaptainimmediatelywentontorevealhisobjectinboardingthePequod.Hedesiredthatshiptounitewithhisowninthesearch;bysailingovertheseasomefourorfivemilesapart,onparallellines,andsosweepingadoublehorizon,asitwere.

"Iwillwagersomethingnow,"whisperedStubbtoFlask,"thatsomeoneinthatmissingboatworeoffthatCaptain'sbestcoat;mayhap,hiswatch—he'ssocursedanxioustogetitback.Whoeverheardoftwopiouswhale-shipscruisingafteronemissingwhaleboatintheheightofthewhalingseason?See,Flask,onlyseehowpalehelooks—paleintheverybuttonsofhiseyes—look—itwasn'tthecoat—itmusthavebeenthe—"

"Myboy,myownboyisamongthem.ForGod'ssake—Ibeg,Iconjure"—hereexclaimedthestrangerCaptaintoAhab,whothusfarhadbuticilyreceivedhispetition."Foreight-and-fortyhoursletmecharteryourship—Iwillgladlypayforit,androundlypayforit—iftherebenootherway—foreight-and-fortyhoursonly—onlythat—youmust,oh,youmust,andyoushalldothisthing."

"Hisson!"criedStubb,"oh,it'shissonhe'slost!Itakebackthecoatandwatch—whatsaysAhab?Wemustsavethatboy."

"He'sdrownedwiththereston'em,lastnight,"saidtheoldManxsailorstandingbehindthem;"Iheard;allofyeheardtheirspirits."

Now,asitshortlyturnedout,whatmadethisincidentoftheRachel'sthemoremelancholy,wasthecircumstance,thatnotonlywasoneoftheCaptain'ssonsamongthenumberofthemissingboat'screw;butamongthenumberoftheotherboat'screws,atthesametime,butontheotherhand,separatedfromtheshipduringthedarkvicissitudesofthechase,therehadbeenstillanotherson;asthatforatime,thewretchedfatherwasplungedtothebottomofthecruellestperplexity;whichwasonlysolvedforhimbyhischiefmate'sinstinctivelyadoptingtheordinaryprocedureofawhale-shipinsuchemergencies,thatis,whenplacedbetweenjeopardizedbutdividedboats,alwaystopickupthemajorityfirst.Butthecaptain,forsomeunknownconstitutionalreason,hadrefrainedfrommentioningallthis,andnottillforcedtoitbyAhab'sicinessdidhealludetohisoneyetmissingboy;alittlelad,buttwelveyearsold,whosefatherwiththeearnestbutunmisgivinghardihoodofaNantucketer'spaternallove,hadthusearlysoughttoinitiatehimintheperilsandwondersofavocationalmostimmemoriallythedestinyofallhisrace.Nordoesitunfrequentlyoccur,thatNantucketcaptainswillsendasonofsuchtenderageawayfromthem,foraprotractedthreeorfouryears'voyageinsomeothershipthantheirown;sothattheirfirstknowledgeofawhaleman'scareershallbeunenervatedbyanychancedisplayofafather'snaturalbutuntimelypartiality,orundueapprehensivenessandconcern.

Meantime,nowthestrangerwasstillbeseechinghispoorboonofAhab;andAhabstillstoodlikeananvil,receivingeveryshock,butwithouttheleastquiveringofhisown.

"Iwillnotgo,"saidthestranger,"tillyousayayetome.Dotomeasyouwouldhavemedotoyouinthelikecase.Foryoutoohaveaboy,CaptainAhab—thoughbutachild,andnestlingsafelyathomenow—achildofyouroldagetoo—Yes,yes,yourelent;Iseeit—run,run,men,now,andstandbytosquareintheyards."

"Avast,"criedAhab—"touchnotarope-yarn";theninavoicethatprolonginglymouldedeveryword—"CaptainGardiner,Iwillnotdoit.EvennowIlosetime.Good-bye,good-bye.Godblessye,man,andmayIforgivemyself,butImustgo.Mr.Starbuck,lookatthebinnaclewatch,andinthreeminutesfromthispresentinstantwarnoffallstrangers:thenbraceforwardagain,andlettheshipsailasbefore."

Hurriedlyturning,withavertedface,hedescendedintohiscabin,leavingthestrangecaptaintransfixedatthisunconditionalandutterrejectionofhissoearnestsuit.Butstartingfromhisenchantment,Gardinersilentlyhurriedtotheside;morefellthansteppedintohisboat,andreturnedtohisship.

Soonthetwoshipsdivergedtheirwakes;andlongasthestrangevesselwasinview,shewasseentoyawhitherandthitherateverydarkspot,howeversmall,onthesea.Thiswayandthatheryardswereswunground;starboardandlarboard,shecontinuedtotack;nowshebeatagainstaheadsea;andagainitpushedherbeforeit;whileallthewhile,hermastsandyardswerethicklyclusteredwithmen,asthreetallcherrytrees,whentheboysarecherryingamongtheboughs.Butbyherstillhaltingcourseandwinding,woefulway,youplainlysawthatthisshipthatsoweptwithspray,stillremainedwithoutcomfort.ShewasRachel,weepingforherchildren,becausetheywerenot.